This was confirmed by Kenya Amputee Football Federation organising secretary, Dismus Kuyiyi, who expressed confidence that both teams, led by head coaches Clement Otieno (men) and Sharon Nyaoke (women), will be well prepared to compete for top honours.
“The teams will report to camp from August 1 to September 2, before flying to Bujumbura for the CECAAF tournament,” Kuyiyi stated. “The training will take place at Parklands Sports Club, Nairobi.”
While the men’s team has participated in three previous CECAAF tournaments, the upcoming event will mark the women’s team’s debut, and Kuyiyi is optimistic.
“Our goal for both teams is to win the titles. We believe we have the talent and mindset to do it. We’ve already received training equipment to support our preparations,” he said.
Kuyiyi also thanked sponsors, including Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Safaricom, and Kenya Airways (KQ) for their support, and welcomed more partners on board. He noted that the government, through the Ministry of Sports, will also provide significant backing.
Both teams will comprise 22 players each in camp, with final squads of 15 to be selected before departure. The delegation will also include 12 officials.
“We will trim the squads from 22 to 15 players each ahead of the trip,” Kuyiyi noted. “The final team will be accompanied by 12 officials.”
The tournament draw, which will determine group stage opponents, is expected in mid-August. Other participating nations include Uganda, Burundi, DR Congo, Somalia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, along with invited teams Zimbabwe and Zambia.
By Godfrey Ashiali
